Eriol, Xiaolang & a Petshop
by caalsio
Summary: Eriol owns a Petshop, but what happens when he becomes captivated by a certain young chinese boy that stops by his shop? And how will the other react? (AU) E/X
1. The Petshop

Eriol, Xiaolang and a Pet shop  
By Xiao Ying/Kittycow/Etchi-neko  
A/N: This is an Alt. Universe in China so there is no nakuru, suppi and everyone who belongs in Japan is there, except eriol... duh... okay... ummm PG-13? Yeah... I think... I'm not good at ratings... maybe less... but maybe more later... ^.^'' SIGH! The thoughts are in *" "* and I'm not sure what else I need to mention... argh!   
OH! DISCLAIMERS!: Oh these horrible disclaimers us fans have to go through, denouncing our ownership of the wonderful animes we love... how depressing! CLAMP owns these people, but sure wish I did too! *Glances over to Eriol* "heh heh..." ERIOL: ^.^'''  
Anyway, here goes!  
~Chapter 1~  
"He's just so cute!" squealed a voice.  
"Just so cute!" screamed a second.  
"So cute!" yelled another.  
"Cute!" and so on...  
  
Xiaolang sighed heavily as his four over-bearing sisters glomped him for the 19th time today. A few things about this bothered him: 1) he was 17 years old, which meant his sisters were at least 20-something. 2) They were all married. Well, except Fei Mei, so why didn't they go glomp their husbands?!? And why do they still live HERE?!? 3) They had been doing this since he was a baby, won't it ever get OLD?!? And 4) That horrible way they talked! Couldn't they come up with their OWN sentences?!? All this contemplating made Xiaolang grumble loudly.  
  
"What's wrong little brother?"  
"Wrong little brother?"  
"Little brother?"  
"Brother?"  
  
He pointed at them and yelled, "That's it! That's exactly what I'm talking about! I can't stand it anymore!!" He released himself from their grasp and stormed out the door. His mother, Yelan, called, "Don't yell at your sisters!" from inside.  
  
"Need a plan, need a plan..." Xiaolang mumbled to himself as he walked down the path to the bus stop. "Something that'll direct their attention away from me, something cuddly and glompable...a pet! That's it!" He said excitedly. The bus came and he got on. "I'll go from this street to here and get off over there..." he said quietly while drawing an invisible map with his fingers. Unfortunately, he was so busy making the map to his destination that he forgot to get off at his stop. By the time he looked up and noticed where he was, it was too late. *"Aww man! Now I gotta walk over there!"* he thought. He stood and spoke up, "Um! C-Could you let me off here? I missed my stop..." he called to the driver.  
  
"We're only a little ways to the next stop, do you mind sitting down and waiting for a few seconds???" The driver said bluntly and quite rudely.  
  
"Well, fine!" Xiaolang huffed to himself as he sat down and noticed a few people looking at him. He blushed at the embarrasing situation.   
  
When the next stop came he got off and stuck his hands in his pockets as he turned the corner and walked down the street. "Stupid bus driver, stupid sisters, stupid pet shop..." he stopped. "Hey! A pet shop! This one is new. Guess I don't usually come down this street." Xiaolang decided to check this place out. Besides, they had some cute looking animals.  
  
The bells on the door to the shop rang as it was opened and the boy at the cashier counter looked up to see who had stopped by. A rather impressive looking guy about his age strolled in and was taking a look at the hamsters on the furthest wall.  
  
*"Light brown hair, huh?"* he thought. *"Strange for a chinese boy...if he is chinese. How cute."* he smiled in his normal way and made his way over to help the customer. "Good evening, how may I help you?"  
  
Xiaolang didn't divert his attention, but rather answered, "Yeah, I'm looking for something cute, cuddly and glompable..."  
  
"How about me?" the other boy replied smirking.  
  
Xiaolang raised an eyebrow, and turned his head, "Huh??" His eyes met with the other's set of beautiful blue eyes behind silver frames. He blushed, their faces were so close. He wasn't scared exactly, just surprised.  
  
"You okay? You look a little flushed..." the blue-eyed boy said with concern. Xiaolang didn't realize he was blushing, and turned an ever darker shade of red, then slapped his cheeks a bit. "N-No, I'm alright..."  
  
"You're cute. What's your name?" the boy asked.  
*"What's with this? He's so forward...and...why am I blushing?!"* "Umm...it...uhhh..." He stammered.  
"Hmm hmm. You do have a name don't you?"  
"Yes!" Xiaolang responded defensively. "It's Li. Li Xiaolang."  
*"Chinese, just as I thought..."* "I'm Eriol Hiiragizawa. Pleased to meet you." he bowed politley.  
Xiaolang returned the bow."Ummm...nice to meet you too, Eriol. Are-are you Japanese?"  
Eriol nodded, "Yes, but I'm also part English. Tell me, is that your natural hair color?"  
Xiaolang gave a confused look, "My hair? Never really thought about it. Yeah, it is. My sisters' hair is the same."  
"Really? It's nice." Eriol commented as he brushed a few stray strands out of Xiaolang's face, causing him to blush slightly again.  
  
"Oh! My sisters! I remember why I'm here again! I want to get them something they can cuddle so they don't tackle me all day." Xiaolang explained to Eriol.  
"How about a puppy or a kitten?" He suggested and finally stopped flirting for awhile.  
Xiaolang thought for a minute, "A cat would probably be better, I think I might sorta be allergic to dogs."   
Eriol looked at him strangely, "But, doesn't your name mean 'wolf'? Doesn't that pose a problem itself?" He chuckled.  
Xiaolang paused to think, then laughed, "Hey! You're right."  
  
Eriol giggled inwardly, *"Ah! Cute laugh too!"* "Well, the cats are over here, follow me." He explained and led Xiaolang to the kittens. "How many sisters do you have?"  
"I have four. Four VERY annoying sisters, who will NOT leave me alone." He stated with a worn look on his face.  
"Are you the oldest?"  
"No...They're quadruplets too."  
"Oh wow! That must be interesting!"  
"Interesting isn't the word I would use. How would you like four 20-something year olds glomping you at all hours of the day?"  
"Well I could tell you that most guys wouldn't mind that..."  
"But when they're your SISTERS??"  
  
Eriol sweatdropped, "True." He looked into the pen, "So what do you think they'd like?"  
"Anything cute and playful... Maybe I should get two..." Xiaolang mused.  
"That might be good. What about those two over there?" Eriol nodded toward the middle where two energetic kitties were play-fighting.  
  
"They're cute. How much are they?" Xiaolang asked, not really concerned with the price since anything would be worth getting his sisters to leave him alone.  
"Regular $35, but I'll let you have them both for $50...if..." Eriol didn't finish, and Xiaolang became suspicious.   
"If what?"  
Eriol sidled closer to Xiaolang, "Its near closing time. I'll let you take them for 50 if you let me take you home..." he smiled.  
Xiaolang's eyes brightened, "Really?! Now I won't have to take the bus back! It's a deal Eriol!!"  
  
Eriol danced inside his head. "Great!" He said as he picked up one of the playful couple. It was a darling little orange kitten. Xiaolang cradled the other of the pair, a bit smaller and solid white. He shifted it to one arm as he got out his wallet and sifted through his money, pulling out the cost and handing it to Eriol. They completed the sale and Eriol grabbed his keys from the back room, "Well, lets go..."  
  
Eriol held open the door for Xiaolang so he could turn off the lights and lock up. They walked to his car, just a short distance from the shop, and Eriol handed Xiaolang the other kitten as he opened the passenger door. "Y-You don't have to do that..." Xiaolang replied.  
  
"Yes I do, I'm a perfect gentleman." Eriol said as he smiled and closed the door. Xiaolang blushed again. It was strange, this feeling, but it almost made sense when he thought about it. After all the female attention from his sisters and Meiling, a little from the same sex felt...almost...pleasing, as much as he hated to admit it. And Eriol just seemed really nice.  
  
Eriol drove on as Xiaolang gave directions, and on long stretches of road, he asked as many questions he could get in to find out more about this chinese bishounen. But he was sorry when they finally reached Xiaolang's house. He really enjoyed his company and didn't want him to go. They were silent for a moment, after Eriol stopped in front of the Li house, not sure how to say goodbye.  
  
Xiaolang chuckled, "Eh heh, awkward silence. Never know what to do here..."  
  
Another mischievous smirk crept across Eriol's lips. "I do..." He leaned in very close to Xiaolang's face and closed his eyes. This surprised Xiaolang, but all he could do in response was face the inevitable kiss... but then...   
  
"Mew! Mew!" Xiaolang was startled by the kittens' meowing and snapped out of his daze, something about Eriol had mesmerized him. Eriol opened his eyes and a disappointed look came across his face as Xiaolang got out of the car.  
  
"Ummm... I just wanted to say thanks a lot, Eriol, for everything today.." Xiaolang said leaning his head in the car window.  
"Sure anytime." Eriol responded with the usual smile. "I had fun. Do you want me to walk you to the door?"  
"No, that's alright. You need to be really prepared to meet MY family..."  
Eriol laughed, "Okay. Hey, make sure you stop by the shop again, I could always use the help, and the company... And I still need to get your number."  
"Okay, yeah, we'll do something sometime."   
"I'm holding you up to that..."  
"Alright... Zai Jian Eriol!"  
"Cheerio Xiaolang! Take care! Hope the kittens work out for you!" Eriol shouted to the already departed Xiaolang.   
  
"Okay! Thanks!" He shouted from the door. It opened and he was immediately attacked by his older, hyper-active sisters.  
*"Number 20"* Xiaolang counted in his head.  
  
Eriol watched and sweatdropped from his car. He left after the pile of siblings were inside, still wishing for that kiss...  
  
~End Chapter 1~  
A/N: Aiyaa! I love the way this is turning out! But I still need a little more for Ch. 2! Oh well! Let's try it anyway! I'm on a roll! 


	2. The House of Li

~Chapter 2~  
  
Xiaolang tried very hard to protect the small furry creatures he was holding. "Wait! Wait! Get off! I got you something!"  
Fei Mei, Shiefa, Fuutie and Fan Ren jumped off of their brother as fast as they jumped on him. "What did you get us?"  
"Did you get us?"  
"You get us?"  
"Get us?"  
A small meow came from inside his jacket and it sent his sisters excitedly into his jacket. In the end, the two pairs of groping hands that came out with cats were Shiefa and Fan Ren. All four of them squealed happily.  
  
"They are so cute!" said one snuggling the white one.  
"Are so cute!" Said another petting the same cat.  
"So cute!" she said while holding the orange one above her head.  
"Cute!" said the last, tapping the kittens nose. Then they all turned to Xiaolang in a simultaneous, creepy way.  
  
"Thank you dear brother!"  
"Thank you brother!"  
"Thanks brother!"  
"Thanks!" They all cried, about to glomp him.  
  
He held up a hand, "Stop right there. This is exactly the reason I got you the kittens. If you feel all happy and glompy... GO-TO-THE-CATS." He explained very matter-of-factly. And with that, his sisters paused, and went back to the kittens. Xiaolang sighed deeply but happily. Pleased with the results, he turned around and made his way to his room.  
  
"Xiaolang!" Yelan called from a neighboring room.   
Xiaolang stopped and followed the voice into the study. "Yes mother?"  
"Xiaolang, I want you to go visit your cousin tomorrow...You've been neglecting seeing her. I'm sure she'd enjoy your company." Yelan directed, not once glancing up from her book to look at her son. Who's face had deadlocked and suddenly had an uneasy stomach.  
"Y-You want me to go see Meiling, mother?" he said, his voice cracking at the name 'Meiling.'  
"Well, yes Xiaolang." Yelan responded with a hint of confusion and curiosity to who else she could have meant. Her son was silent. "So, do I make myself clear?"  
Xiaolang jerked and answered back swiftly, "Yes Mother!"  
"You may go now." She dismissed.   
  
He sighed as he sulked out of the study. "I don't wanna go see Meiling..." He grumbled to himself. He closed his door and sat at his desk to mope. He had a fairly hard day, and he was very tired. He laid his head on his desk and grabbed a pencil. Drowsily, he started sketching on a nearby paper. A shape of a face...some hair...eyes...he kept drawing, but dosed off somewhere in the middle. A small noise from outside his door awoke him. He got up from his desk and opened the door to his room and looked around. He didn't see anything. "Hmmm..." He raised an eyebrow and crinkled his nose. "I swore I heard something..." he shrugged it off and re-closed his door. He yawned sleepily and shook his head. Xiaolang sat on his bed, ready to crash out, but then he noticed something on his desk chair. He walked cautiously over to the chair and rolled it out from under the desk. He looked down into bright blue eyes staring inquisitively back at him.  
  
"Mew?" Asked the kitten.  
  
"When did you sneak into my room?" Xiaolang asked while scratching the little white kitten behind the ears. The small cat purred loudly. "Oh...was that you at my door??" he inquired rhetorically as he stroked the back and the kitten stood up. Then it jumped on the desk to be closer to Xiaolang. He looked past the kitten and noticed what it had jumped on. "Hey, it's that picture I was, sorta, drawing..." He tugged at the page from under the cat's feet and I playfully pawed at it.  
  
Xiaolang glanced at his sketch...he looked at it for a minute, then blushed. It...it was Eriol. Sure, it wasn't clear because it was done while half-asleep, but all the elements were there. The neat, dark hair, the glasses, and even that sweet smile that contained a hint of mischief on his lips at all times. It was such a scribble of a picture that Xiaolang thought to just throw it away, but there was just something about it. He couldn't just put it in the trash.  
  
The white kitten watched interestedly as Xiaolang opened a drawer, placed the paper neatly inside, then closed it. "So, were you going to stay with me?" Xiaolang asked the cat before throwing himself on the bed.  
  
"Rrrreow..." the cat said and followed Xiaolang onto the bed and curled up by his stomach. The vibrations of the purring felt funny against him, but it was relaxing, so he turned off the lamp and soon fell asleep  
  
It was a sunny when Xiaolang awoke to the sound of loud mewing. He grabbed his alarm clock. "7:35?" he grunted. "It's too early..." he pulled the covers over his head to hide himself from the sun. He tried to go to sleep, but he soon realized that he wasn't even tired. He had actually gone to bed early. He decided to go ahead and start his day. Xiaolang got up, yawned and stretched. He picked up the kitten and opened the door. He heard his sisters yelling something and running frantically around the house.  
  
"Where'd ya go Choi?"  
"You go Choi?"  
"Go Choi?"  
"Choi?"  
  
Shiefa stopped when she saw Xiaolang with the kitten. "CHOI!!" she said as she took the kitten. Her brother raised a sleepy eyebrow, "Choi? Is that what you named it?" Shiefa nodded happily while scratching the kitten lightly.  
"What's the other's name?" Xiaolang asked, a little scared. Fei Mei popped up with the orange kitten, "Why, it's Bok! Of course." The other 2 sisters popped up as well in a freaky fashion, "OF COURSE!"  
Xiaolang had a sweatdrop crisis and nearly fell over, "Y-You mean like... /Bok/ Choi??"  
The four women nodded simultaneously, then ran off to go play with the cats.  
  
*"Poor things."* Xiaolang thought as he scratched his head. *"Probably would've been better off in the pet shop."* he started to make his way to the shower, but his mother stopped him.  
"Xiaolang, you haven't forgotten what you are to do today, have you?" she asked with that motherly-stern look.   
Xiaolang straightened himself out. "Of course not mother. You suggested that I go visit Meiling."  
"That's right Xiaolang, it pleases me you remember."  
He bowed respectfully in response. "You are welcome, mother." He stood after he saw his mother was a bit further down the hall. He sighed, *"I need a vacation..."*   
  
"BOK! CHOI!" he heard his sisters squeal energetically. *"A vacation far, far away..."* He continued his monologue silently to himself as he walked to the bathroom. "Hmmm...Eriol's english, maybe he'll take me to england one day..." He stopped walking and smacked his forehead. "Stop talking crazy Xiaolang! He's a guy, you're a guy. It just shouldn't turn out that way. I mean, I'm not bi...or gay...right? RIGHT!" he self-assured, as he nodded confidently, but then he doubted himself because he actually had to /think/ about it. He hung his head, then suddenly outburst, "I'M SO CONFUSED!" One of his brother-in-laws was passing in the hall, but he just glanced at Xiaolang weirdly and kept right on his way. This was the Li family, he was used to it.  
  
Xiaolang got in the shower, and stayed in there longer than usual, hoping he could wash away his stress. Once he felt better, he decided to get out and dry off. His feet were getting a little pruny anyway... He walked out of the bathroom in a towel and was almost immediately bombarded with his sisters, who were chasing the kittens. As soon as he saw them coming his way, he shot out of the hallway and into his room. He leaned his head against the door and took a deep breath, "I /gotta/ remember to change in the bathroom..." He finished changing and walked into the kitchen, hungry and ready to eat.  
  
"What's Bok & Choi supposed to eat?" Fei Mei cried in general as Xiaolang sat and began to eat.  
"Yeah Xiaolang! You didn't get him any food!" whined Fuutie. "Yeah!" Cried the other two.  
"Mother, what will we do?" All of them exclaimed.  
Yelan sighed. "They can have a little of our breakfast for now...But Xiaolang!" she added sharply as Xiaolang winced. "You will have to go get them some proper cat food after you go see Meiling."  
  
Xiaolang let himself stab through a piece of meat with his chopstick and thought, *"Hmm... it might even give me a chance to see Eriol. . ."* he clenched his eyes shut. *"No no no...stop it Xiaolang! You're not going to do this to yourself! You're no--"* "Ewww..." he said, looking at his hand. The meat had slipped down the chopstick and rested on his fist. which had caused him to stop mid-thought. He let go of his eating utensil, wiped his hand off and got up from the table. "I'm just gonna go..." he announced quietly as he walked out of the kitchen.  
  
"Don't forget the cat food!" Fan Ren called put after him.  
*"Oh yeah!"* "Mother! I'll need money for the cat food! I spent all mine on the actual cats themselves yesterday!" He shouted back.  
"Oh Xiaolang! Fine, there's some money on my dresser, go ahead and take it." She responded. Xiaolang made a quick stop to his mother's room, grabbed whatever cash he could find and lef the house.  
  
~End Chapter 2~  
  
A/N: Hmmm... that felt a little weak. Well, I /was/ gonna make this a VERY long chapter, but i realized I could cut down by ending it here. Stay tuned! Ch. 3 on its way! I'm /this/ close to finishing it... pleeeeaaassseee be patient... ^_^''' 


	3. My Cousin Meiling

﻿A/N: Yo once again! Thanks so much to all of you who have been patient and been reading the story!! ^.^ I LOVE YOU ALL!! YAY!! Here is installment #3 but I'm sorry to say that Ch. 4 will not come in for a LONG TIME... O.O'' so sorry, but this is still in the works, but is the ONLY thing I am working on though!! I hope to get started on it again VERY soon! And now I'd like to take this time to do those talk-backs to my readers! *isn't sure what they're called...^.^''*  
  
Achika-chan- I know that they can make their own sentences, but there are two reasons I'm using them that way. 1) You saw the MOVIE right? All they do is THAT! Plus its funnier. 2) You'll see that they break away from that every now and then...there's something to that.... hee hee  
Ewen- YAY! So glad you like it! I promise I'll live up to your expectations... or at least TRY... eh-heh...  
Jin-sama- yeah yeah... But YOU wouldn't have been able to write something this good! ADMIT IT!! You don't like to give me credit do you jin-sama??? WAH! NOOO!! VERY NOOOO!!! ^.^v  
Yaoi-Luvr- YAY! GO YAOI! I ROCK!! YAY!! .v whoo! So do you! Loved your story too!!! *.*  
Lady Kazune Kikenshi- Yeah, I thought it was going a little fast! Sorry 'bout that, but it would be even HARDER for me to get this story out if they were taking it too slow ya know? Thanks for the input though! Keep readin'!  
Ruby-san- Yeah, a little soon like I said before, but, well...*sigh* yeah... sorry... Thank youuuu!! ^.^''  
Shattered Midnight Dreams- UPDATING NOW! YAY!! But... Sorry for the wait in advance after this!!! .  
ONTO THE STORY!! YAY!! Meiling's first appearance! I love her now, I can't help it... She's fun.   
~kittycow  
~~~Eriol, Xiaolang and a Petshop - Chapter 3- My Cousin Meiling~~~  
  
Xiaolang slipped on his jacket as he ambled down the walkway. He would've been happier to be out of that house had it not been for where he was going. Meiling Li, his dreaded cousin and pre-arranged marriage partner. Or, at least, she /was/ until about a year ago when he had /somehow/ finally convinced his mother to call it off. But Meiling never got it through her muffin-headed brain and still insisted on being his future bride. Yes, they did get along a little better now that they were older. But that didn't change much of anything. And the way his mother was, he couldn't be all too sure that his argument would be enough to keep him safe from the tight clutches of his cousin.  
He got on the bus and took a glimpse of the driver. *"Oh great. /Her/ again."* he sulked back to his seat, determined to pay attention and not miss his stop. The ride went off without a hitch and he got off at the right stop. *"Wait, /why/ did I get off at the /right/ stop??"* he sighed as he saw the house in view and the bus pulled away behind him, *"Too late now..."* He stuck his hands in his pockets and walked nearer to the house. Meiling was sitting on the porch steps, staring into the sky.  
"Oh great, if she sees me from there, I'll get a full flying-run-tackle and get knocked on my ass, landing about 5 feet from this spot."* he calculated to himself.  
But then, Meiling turned her head and looked straight at him, and...nothing. She went back to staring ahead into the morning sky. Xiaolang stopped dead in his tracks with a confused look on his face and not making much sense of the situation. He continued with caution, thinking that it must be some sort of ploy to draw him into an elaborate trap. He walked forward until he was about 2 or 3 feet from where she was sitting. Still nothing.  
"Nihao Meiling." He greeted.  
"Nihao, Xiaolang." She returned glumly, not looking at him.  
He then realized that Meiling was not a person to come up with intricate plans to trap him. And even if she was, she was obviously not in any state of mind to do so. He sat down by her, seeing that she was of no danger to him, "Is something wrong, Meiling?" He heard her sniffle and saw tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Then she turned to him, looked at him with bloodshot eyes and a red-nose. A appearance of that which could only be real sadness and grief. Then she suddenly wrapped her arms around him and started bawling into his shirt.  
Xiaolang jumped, but then realized what she was doing and put his arm around her back. "What is it Meiling? What happened?" he asked with a tone of real concern in his voice.  
She sobbed loudly then lifted her head off of Xiaolang's chest. The look that he had, full of care, wanted to make her cry all over again. It was rare for her to get such concern out of her cousin. Looking into his deep brown eyes made her not want to answer his concerns. But she knew she'd have to. "X-Xiaolang..." she started. "My-my..b-b-b..." Meiling stuttered.  
"Your what? Meiling?"  
"My b-bird. Xiaolang it d-d-..." She sniffed and sobbed, breaking up her words. "It died!!" She shouted at last and buried her head in her hands. "I thought I took such good care of it! I always took care of it, especially-especially since you rescued it that one day!"  
Xiaolang though back, *"Oh yeah. I remember that... It was raining and everything and she sent me to go get that bird...Well, I guess her didn't /send/ me..."* It's okay Meiling. It's not your fault, I know you took good care of that bird."  
She looked up, "Y-You do?"  
"Sure." He smiled, "Plus, you know, everything dies..." Meiling's bottom lip started to shake and she looked like she was about to break into a whole other round of tears. "No no, I mean, that it was probably just its time. Those birds don't last too long, you know?" he said hopefully.  
"Really?" She sniffed.  
"He nodded, relieved, and smiled, "Yeah, c'mon. Let's go inside for a while..." He stood up and held out a hand towards his cousin. The sparkle returned to her eyes for a short moment before she pounced and hugged Xiaolang tightly. "Aiya! Xiaolang! Xie xie!!" ["thank you"]  
"Bu xie." ["You're welcome"] He said, his voice straining as they wobbled inside.  
They sat at the table inside and talked over cups of *type of tea. Xiaolang, mainly trying to cheer her up, told stupid little anecdotes to make her giggle. Then he remembered something. *"It might be too soon to ask."* He told himself, but he thought he should try anyway. "Hey Meiling."  
"Yes Xiaolang?" She responded after a fit of laughter.  
"Umm... I was wondering. Ya see, I got my sisters these kittens yesterday at this petshop I found..." Meiling grew quiet. "...and I was thinking we could go there and just check it out. You don't have to decide today or anyth–"  
"Sure!" Meiling cut in.  
"Yeah... I thought so..." Xiaolang said disappointed, "OH! OH really? You're up to it?!" Xiaolang reacted, surprised.  
"Uh-huh. Sure Xiaolang. I'm up to it if you are." She smiled sweetly. *"Oh my darling Xiaolang, you've always been so great to me..."*  
"'Kay! We'll go as soon as you're ready then! And maybe Eriol'll give me another discount!..." He thought out loud.  
Meiling turned sharply from getting her jacket. "Who's Eriol?" she asked glaring.  
Xiaolang sweatdropped. *"At least she's back to normal."* "It's just the guy that works at the petshop I went to yesterday!"  
"Oh? It's a guy too?! You met him just yesterday and you're already on a first name basis?!?"  
"WHAT?! NO! It's not like that!! You take things too seriously Meiling..." He was mentally backed into a corner. *"Well, not /really/..."* said his sub-conscious.  
"I may loose you to another girl someday, but I am NOT going to loose you to a guy Xiaolang." Now she did have him physically backed into a corner.  
*"Oh boy...Suzaku, PLEASE don't let anything happen today..."* "Maybe we should just go to another shop." Xiaolang suggested.  
"NO! I want to meet Eriol!" She directed.   
"Whatever you say Meiling..." He sighed as she grabbed his hand and led him out the door. They reached the front gate and she stopped.  
"So, where is it?"  
"Well, I think it's not too far if we walk... That is, if you're up to it..."  
"No. I'd rather not walk. It's cold." She made up some excuse, thinking that this was some way Xiaolang was trying to stall.  
"Ummm...okay..." He looked down at his watch, "We'll have to wait a little while then." Xiaolang explained.  
Meiling sat on the bench and tugged on Xiaolang's sleeve, ordering to sit. They were silent until the bus came. They got on and went to a seat. Xiaolang sat by the window, watching for the right stop. "Okay...not this one. It's the next one..." He thought to himself quietly before the bus stopped.  
"Hey kid." The driver called, "Isn't this your stop?" She asked crudely.  
Xiaolang looked up unexpectedly. "Wha? Uhh... no. Not this time. It's the next stop!" He looked around, he turned red as he noticed people starting again. "Stupid damn bus driver, always giving me crap..." He muttered loud enough for Meiling to hear.  
"You want me to say something Xiaolang?" Meiling asked harshly.  
"No, no don't..."  
At the next stop, the cousins got off the bus and Meiling shot the driver a nasty glance before stepping off. "Whatever..." The driver mumbled as she rolled her eyes and closed the door.  
Meiling held onto Xiaolang's arm as they walked down the street. Xiaolang was so used to this that he forgot to slip his arm away before entering the petshop. Eriol heard the bell ring atop the door, but didn't have a chance to look up, as he was already tending to a customer. "Thank you sir. Have a nice day." He said as the man left. Eriol sighed loudly, "Phew... it's been a busy day."  
"Aww!! They're so CUTE! Xiaolang! LOOK!" Meiling cried loudly.  
"Yes, Meiling. I see them. Do you have to be so loud?" Xiaolang reprimanded.  
"Oh, you're no fun." She said nudging him a bit.  
"Yeah Xiaolang, lighten up..." The familiar voice made the little wolf jump and automatically blush. Meiling turned to the source with an, "Oh?"  
"My Xiaolang! You never told me you had such a pretty girlfriend!" Eriol commented, although he frowned mentally, hoping he didn't have any difficult competition. But Xiaolang was so cute, he couldn't blame her, or anyone, for liking him.  
Meiling blushed and Xiaolang quickly responded to the observation, "She's /not/ my girlfriend." He pulled his arm away, realizing what it may have meant to Eriol, given the situation. But Meiling snatched it back and countered with her own words, "He's right, I'm his /fiancee/!" She said, grinning immensely.  
"Oh really?" Eriol reacted mischievously.  
"Yes really!" Meiling argued.  
"No! REALLY!" Xiaolang exerted, but it was ignored.  
Suddenly Eriol burst out, "Oh! Xiaolang! You didn't tell me you already were in a relationship! How /could/ you?!" Xiaolang stood in disbelief, while Meiling put her hands on her hips. "What do you mean 'how /could/ he'?! What do you mean 'already'?!" She shouted.  
"Oh? He didn't tell you?" Eriol said in pouty voice as he quickly slunk his hand into Xiaolang's. "I'm his boyfriend!!" He continued excitedly, holding up their intertwined fingers. Xiaolang turned red and awkwardly tugged his hand away. "Aww.. Don't be shy... It's about time she knew..." "Eriol!! Don't..."  
Meiling shook with rage, she didn't like being mocked, whether he meant to or not. She didn't know who to vent out on first, but she decided on Eriol, figuring she'd never have to see him again. She got in his face and started yelling, "What do you mean 'boyfriend'?!? Xiaolang would NEVER do that to me, someone that he loves and cares for deeper than the ocean–"  
Xiaolang rolled his eyes, *"There she goes again..."* he then just noticed that Eriol never budged. He just keep that same all-knowing, annoying smile on his face.  
Meiling kept screaming, making a scene, and never expected anything that Eriol would do. "And stop smiling! It's not fu-" Eriol decided to end this rant; he leaned up and kissed her cheek. "-nny..." She concluded before turning bright crimson.  
Eriol chuckled, "I can see you really care for Xiaolang. I was just kidding. I'm sorry if I made you mad. It's Meiling, right?" Meiling nodded slowly in confirmation. Xiaolang stared wide-eyed, mouth gaping, while Meiling tried to get the flush out of her face. Seeing that neither would say anything too soon, Eriol continued, "So, what brings you tow here anyway?"  
Xiaolang shook his head and snapped out of it. "Oh, we came to get a pet for Meiling." He jabbed his thumb in the direction of his cousin.  
"Anything in particular?" Eriol asked straightening out some things on a near-by shelf.   
Meiling started to gain her composure. Still pink, she responded, "Well, my bird died this morning..."  
Now Eriol REALLY felt bad for what he did. He turned to her with a look of concern, "I'm so sorry. Are you sure you want to do this today??"  
Meiling looked up meekly, gently holding onto Xiaolang's arm. "I'm sure. Xiaolang said that I didn't have to choose today if I didn't want to. So we just might look for now..."  
Eriol returned a soft smile, "That's understandable. Please, look at whatever you like, and let me know if there's any one that you'd like to hold."  
Meiling nodded enthusiastically, "Kay!"  
"EXCUSE ME!!" Came a call from a lady on the other side of the store, as she waved a hand. Eriol spotted the woman and answered back, "I'll be right there ma'am!" He turned back to the other two, "Be right back." He said with a smile in Xiaolang's direction. Xiaolang tried to give a smile back, but he was yanked back by Meiling and Eriol had already done a 180 the other way.  
Meiling lead her cousin excitedly through bins and cages and the little lizards and fish behind glass. Xiaolang payed hardly any attention to her. He kept looking back at Eriol helping the other customer. She was fairly older than his peers, about late 20s, early 30s? Her hair was deep brown and shoulder length and she wore a skirt and very business type suit. She was in the bird section, and probably asking Eriol information on different types of birds or food by the looks of it. Xiaolang didn't quite realize it, but every time he looked back, a twinge of jealousy ran through him. He would look back for a while, then realize that he was staring, shake his head and try to attend to the matter at hand.  
"Oh, XIAOLANG!" Cried Meiling as she let go of his hand, returning him to reality. "They're so cuuute! Lookie!"  
Xiaolang looked ahead and notice puppies in cages behind a glass wall. He turned to Meiling; she was pressed up against the glass beside him, smiling and wiggling her finger at he small dogs. She bent down, tucking her knees under her and her feet held up the back of her skirt. "Xiaolang, I want to see the puppies!"  
"We have to wait for Eriol..." he said almost void of emotion, still feeling dazed.  
Meiling curiously looked up at him. "Oh, okay..." she responded with a sigh as she stood. There were two chairs nearby and she sat quietly, still watching her beloved cousin. He seemed really out of it as she caught him looking across the store again. He turned and was startled by her inquisitive gaze, and realized what he had been doing all along. He then wondered if Meiling was able to notice, then what about Eriol? He blushed at the thought. "Wha-what is it?" He finally asked, since her looks still hadn't been diverted and made him quite nervous. Had she guessed what he was up to?  
"What are you thinking about?" She questioned as he sat down next to her.  
He stared at his shoes, "N-No one - I mean NOTHING!!" He tried to cover up, but even he knew that was WAY too obvious. But, he hoped, that Meiling was as dense as he usually thought her to be. He clunked his shoes together, waiting uneasily for her response.  
~End Chapter 3~  
  
A/N2: Thank you to DarkWaterAngel for e-mailing me and getting me back on top of this project. (Ha, see jin-sama, I CAN be seme!! .''' mwahhaha...) Sorry again about future delay though, but maybe finally typing this again will get me back in the mood... you can only hope...and of course, send me lots of Eriol/Xiaolang-ness. ^.^ Only pics though, because fics will mess up my writing.. ^.^''' 


	4. How Much Is That Doggy

TITLE: Eriol, Xiaolang and A Petshop   
  
AUTHOR: Kittycow (kittycow@juno.com)  
  
PAIRING: Eriol/Xiaolang  
  
RATING: PG  
  
CATEGORY: Shounen-ai. Cute, I guess, fluffiness?? I don't think I really write /fluff/. *shrug* Hmmm...   
  
FFEDBACK: *tries not to sound desperate & fails* PLEASE PLEEEEASE R&R!! Its the only way I get motivated... well, not the ONLY way.. but.. The most EFFECTIVE way... ~.~  
  
A/N: Yay! I've made it to the 4th chapter!! W00t!! This is so cool! I had no idea I would make it this far.. ^.^v This sounds like one of those, "Thanks for sticking with me, this is the last chapter" speech. But, don't worry, it's not... I just wanted to let you guys know how much I love you for loving me- I mean my fic... Or.. me too! ^.^v hee hee... Wai!! This chapter is dedicated to Jin-sama ...well, all of them are, and also VSoyka for e-mailing me yelling at me to finish... But, ya know... I'm STILL waitin' for my pics and stuff... ¬.¬  
  
~~~~Chapter 4~~~~ How Much Is That Doggy...  
  
"Ahh!! Mou~~! Xiaolang, you never want to tell me anything!" Meiling pouted angrily. Xiaolang lifted his head, she hadn't noticed his slip up! He was clear of her, well, for a while anyway. He knew she would find out one way or another what was /truly/ bothering him. He wanted to hug Meiling at that moment, just to thank her for her ditsyness. It actually cheered him up a bit. He grinned a little, and his cousin picked up on it. "Oh, you're such a jerk!!" She rapped him on the head gently.  
  
"Ahh, that's no way to treat a fiancee!" Eriol reprimanded playfully as he approached the couple from the side.   
  
"I didn't hurt him..." she sassed.  
  
"So, Meiling, did you find something you wanted to take a closer look at?" he replied, still sweetly.  
  
"Oh yeah! I want to see... um.../that/ puppy." She recolected as she went over to the glass and pointed at the cuddle-size black & white border collie.  
  
"That one's /very/ rambunctious..." Eriol warned, a sort of mysterious tone leaking out through his speech. Xiaolang pondered at it, finding it very strange for that feeling to express itself in Eriol's eloqunce at that point. Or maybe it was just a part of how he spoke at times, after all, he hadn't know Eriol very long. But whatever it was... Xiaolang couldn't help but feel attracted to that quality. "You sure you can handle him?"  
  
"She's got mountains of energy to spare." Xiaolang put in, looking up at Eriol from his seat.   
  
"What do you mean by that, Li Xiaolang?!" Meiling snapped, her hands immediately retreating to her hips.  
  
"I didn't mean anything by it... /Li Meiling/... If anything it was more of a compliment!" he retorted. Suddenly Eriol let out a rich laugh.  
  
"You'd be horrible with kids, Xiaolang." He said, raising both his eyebrows, smiling and lightly shaking his head.  
  
Xiaolang blushed, and cleared his throat, looking away from the blue-eyed boy. "Well," he started, raising himself off of the chair, "do we get to see him?" he asked, hoping to get back to the main situation and away from anything awkward. When it was about work, Xiaolang noticed, Eriol remained very professional; but anything else even the slightest off-topic comment, and Xiaolang could be caught off-guard and would be in for a fit of blushes.   
  
"Of course you do!" Eriol exclaimed, wrapping an arm around Xiaolang's shoulders playfully, and reached out for Meilng's hand with the other hand. "C'mon Meilng." She didn't like his gesture towards her cousin, but she took his hand anyway and let herself be led to the dog cages. Eriol pulled out his set of keys from his pocket and knelt down as he searched for the correct key. "Ahh, I think this is it..." He mused, looking at the key before unlocking the key to the cage. The little puppy whimpered with excitement along with Meiling, who shared a similar emotion and brimmed with anticipation. Eriol stood back up, smiling with the hyper dog cradled in his arms, or /trying/ to cradle it.  
  
Meiling squealed, "OOH!! Lemme hold it!!!" Eriol handed the pup over to her and she reached out to it and took the puppy in her arms. She cooed and kissed at it with fervent sweetness. Enough to make Xiaolang sick to his stomach...  
  
"Okay, I think it gets the point Meiling...You like him." He said, rubbing his temples.  
  
She looked up at her cousin with a mix of annoyance and hurt at his comment. Meiling shoved the dog close to his face. "But its so cuuuuuuuute!!!! LOOK AT IT!!!" The puppy licked his nose and wagged its tail.  
  
Xiaolang winced away, and sneezed. He rubbed his nose, "Yes, its very nice," he gave it few quick pats on his head, "Are you done yet?"  
  
"WHY ARE YOU RUSHING ME?!?!" Meiling yelled.  
  
"I'm not rushing you!!"  
  
"Why are you so cranky then?!"  
  
"I'M NOT CRANKY!! I'M HUNGRY!!"  
  
"WELL ME TOO!!"  
  
"Oookay..." Eriol broke in. "Then, why don't we go ahead and get on with this?"  
  
"I agree." Xiaolang muttered in Meiling's direction. He pulled out his wallet. "What's the damage?"   
  
"Mnnnn..." Eriol mused, peeking into Xiaolang's funds. "You don't have enough..."  
  
"Oh great..." Xiaolang hung his head and groaned as he stuffed his wallet back into his pocket.  
  
"YOU WHAT?!?" Meiling huffed. "but how can I leave this cute little puppy here now?!? He BELONGS with me!!"  
  
"Look," He took Meiling squarely by the shoulders. "We weren't really gonna buy today, remember? But! We can come back tomorrow, and if you and I pull our money together, we can get it, okay?"  
  
Meiling blushed, and nodded obediently. "Okay..." She handed the puppy, who suddenly looked crest-fallen, back into Eriol's hands. He placed it back in his cage, locked it, and all three of them walked out of the room.   
  
"You guys ready for lunch?? I'm about to close down for about an hour so I can get a bite myself. That is, if you don't mind if I join you..." He particularly looked at Meiling from the side.  
  
She gave him a reserved look. "I /guess/ you can tag along." She pointed her nose up, "But you better not expect my Xiaolang to pay for you."  
  
"Of course not. A gentleman never lets someone else pay for him. Now, if you want, you can wait for me outside, I've got a couple of things to take care of real quick. Be right back!" He added with a sing-song tone.  
  
The two cousins walked out of the shop, Xiaolang pausing momentarily at a shelf that carried cat food, trying to figure out why he found something like that interesting. He shrugged it off when Meiling nudged him to hurry up.  
  
Meiling tapped her foot impatiently. "How long is he gonna take?! He SAID he'd be right back... Xiaolang," She tugged at his shirt, "let's leave without him!"  
  
Xiaolang sighed harshly. "He's only been in there for two minutes..."  
  
Meiling blinked. Her stomach told her it had been MUCH longer than THAT. "HAS NOT! You're lying to me... You're trying to make me starve to death so you won't have to marry me! You're just going to let me shrivel up into a-"  
  
"Geez you get emotional when you're hungry..." He interupted. "I'm not going to do that do you... you can wait a little while longer. I'm starving too, ya know. I didn't get to eat anything for breakfast..." He thought outloud.  
  
"WHAT?!? Why not!! I could've made you something!! Why didn't you tell me you were hungry!!!!" She yelled in his face.  
  
"Because I was too busy consoling you about your dead bird!!" He knew immediately that was the wrong thing to say and feared that at this point of her melodramatic hunger, she would break out into tears. His fears were reassured...  
  
Meiling sniffled and he could see tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. "MY POOR BINKIE!!!" She wailed.  
  
"Binkie??" Xiaolang repeated. And she nodded her head. *"Ugh... my family and their weird pet names..."* he shook his head.  
  
The jingle of the bell on the door caught both Li's attentions. "Well! Are we ready to go??" He caught sight of Meiling weeping, and retreated to her side. "My goodness! What happened!?" He handed her a hankerchief from his back pocket.   
  
She sniffled into it gratefully, and stated meekly, "Nothing..."  
  
Xiaolang admitted, "I said something stupid. Something I didn't mean to say. So, I'm sorry, okay Meiling?" He stared down the street looking at neither Meiling or Eriol.   
  
"I don't accept your apology..." Meiling said calmly. Her voice back to par.  
  
Xiaolang's head turned swiftly to look at her with large eyes. "WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU ME-"  
  
She tapped his nose playfully, "Not until you buy me lunch!!!"  
  
Eriol laughed, catching Xiaolang's attention, but he shifted back to Meiling. "Alright. Fine. But only if you buy ME lunch..." He smirked.  
  
"WHAT?!?" She shouted, raising her fist. Xiaolang winced.  
  
"HOW about I buy both of you lunch?" Eriol cut in, his hand holding Meiling's wrist, making her blink in surprise.  
  
Xiaolang refused, "No, I couldn't let you do that..."  
  
Eriol let go of Meiling and stepped in closer to her cousin, smilng. "Why not? My treat." He opened his bright blue eyes and stared into Xiaolang's. "Plus you have to save for that puppy you want to buy her don't you?" His voice was close to a whisper and his face only a few inches away.  
  
Xiaolang's eyes bugged-out and felt the blood rush to his face. "Um.. okay..." Was his dumb-founded response.  
  
Eriol backed-off. "Good!" He said happily, clasping his hands together, ignoring the deathly glare coming from Meiling's direction. "So! Where did you want to go eat? There are some nice places in this area. Pick any place!"  
  
Xiaolang and Meiling followed together behind Eriol. Meiling's mood brightened at the chance to go to somewhere nice, and eat to her heart's desire. She was pratically drooling at all the restaurants she had to choose from. Xiaolang leaned in closer to her to whisper so Eriol couldn't hear, "Listen Meiling, don't pick anywhere too expensive. I know he's treating, but it's not right to try and make him bankrupt."  
  
"Well, then he shouldn't have offered." She whispered, albeit a bit louder, to Xiaolang.  
  
"/Meiling/..." he reprimanded.  
  
"Okay ok-... OOOhhhhhh...." She stopped and Xiaolang lightly bumped into her.   
  
"Watch where you're going, Meiling..." Xiaolang said annoyed.  
  
Meiling pointed to a building across the street. "Xiaolang... Loooook..." She said rather dazed.   
  
He sighed and turned... "Whoa." He blinked. It stood out among the other rather plain, tan builings surrounding it. Like it was there before the others. The builing was painted a brilliant red, with a arch decoration similar to a shrine. Gold was guilded onto the wood carvings of dragons and other chinese entities.   
  
"Is that where'd you like to eat? Their food is amazing..." Eriol explained.  
  
"YEAH!!!"  
  
"No."   
  
"Why noooot!! Xiaolaaaang." Meiling whined almost unbearably.  
  
"Its fine with me." Eriol said, taking Meiling's side in the matter.  
  
"No, we can't. I can't let you do that. I've heard of this place. I know its really expensive." Xiaolang heard Meiling whimper in the background. "Really, I don't want you to go through so much trouble for us."  
  
"Its no trouble."   
  
"Really, I can't. Sorry Meiling..." Xiaolang said, a bit saddened to have to do that. To both Meiling and himself. He really wanted to eat there.  
  
Meiling sighed. "Ooookay... So, what other, /less expensive/, choices do we have?"   
  
Eriol showed her what other restaurants in the area, and all three agreed on a mongolian buffet down the street. That way it took care of expenses better, and no tip was needed.  
  
"OH NO!!" Xiaolang jumped up in the middle of eating.  
  
"WHAT!?" Eriol and Meiling both jumped.  
  
"I forgot to buy the cat food!! My mother is going to be soooo upset with me!!" Xiaolang began to stress and clenched his fingers onto his hair. "Crap crap crap crap crap..."  
  
"Is that all Xiaolang?" Meiling asked, stuffing another mouthful down her throat.  
  
"Yeah, you can stop by the shop real quick before you go home and pick some up." Eriol suggested.  
  
Xiaolang lifted his head and pondered about it. "... Oh yeah... Okay..." He smiled in relief and picked up more food with his chopsticks.  
  
...  
  
The stuffed-beyond-all-belief threesome, or really just Meiling and Xiaolang, finally got themselves out of their chairs and made their way back to Eriol's shop.   
  
"MMMMMM!! THAT WAS GOOOOOOOD!!" Meiling yelled quite satisfied.  
  
"Yeah it was! Thanks alot Eriol."   
  
"I hope they didn't run out of food, the way you to went at your bowls! And, it was my pleasure." Eriol said pleased.  
  
The two cousins blushed at the comment and laughed afterward. They reached the door to the shop, and Meiling sat on the bench nearby the shop. "Can I wait here Xiaolang? I don't think I can walk anymore..."  
  
"Okay. I'll be right back." Xiaolang followed Eriol into the shop. "What food do you think I should give the kittens I got yesterday?" He asked, looking at all the brands, prices, and types, trying to figure the difference.  
  
"Would you like to go to dinner with me?" Eriol asked casually.  
  
"What?!" Xiaolang dropped the bag of treats he was holding in surprise.  
  
"Like a date. Tonight I could pick you up at your house, and we could go to dinner together. How about it Xiaolang?" Eriol said, all the while flaunting that smile.  
  
"I dunno..." Xiaolang said cautiously, looking down as he bent to pick up the bag he dropped. The was a sudden contrast across his tanned hand as Eriol's hand rested lightly atop Xiaolang's. Xiaolang looked up into Eriol's dazzling hypnotic blue eyes, and he was trapped.  
  
"I won't let you leave until you say yes." He grabbed Xiaolang's hand, but he wasn't sure if his attempt were working. His eyes shone over and he stuck out his bottom lip ever-so-slightly. "Please?" He pouted.  
  
*"Oh Suzaku..."* Xiaolang thought he was going to die. All this blood rushing to his face, wasn't going anywhere else. He didn't see what choice he had. If he said 'no', Eriol would just try harder until Xiaolang gave in. And the little wolf didn't think he could hold out from having a stroke or heart-attack for very long. "I- I--..." He stuttered. "Umm.. okay..." He said defeated.  
  
Eriol let go. "Okay then!" He said energetically. "Pick you up at 7?" he handed Xiaolang a bag of cat food.   
  
"Yeah..." Xiaolang said, feeling so STUPID. He gestured questioningly at the bag.  
  
"That's what you're supposed to feed them until they get a little bigger. If that have trouble with it, mix it with a little milk." Eriol explained.  
  
Xiaolang reached for his wallet.  
  
"Bupbupbup! No charge!" Eriol interrupted, holding up a finger.  
  
Xiaolang nodded, afraid if he said anything else, he'd just be making himself seem more idiotic, getting this way over a guy he hardly knew. So, he just turned and made his way to the door. He was almost home-free.  
  
"See you at seven!!" Eriol called from behind, waving.  
  
Xiaolang's head dropped and he walked sloppily out the door.  
  
"XIAOLANG! YOU LOOK A MESS!!"   
  
~~~~End Chapter 4~~~~  
  
A/N2: Crap this was a long chapter... O.O''' I REALLY want to get started on chapter 5, so I hope I stick with it and get it done!! ^.^v 


End file.
